The Brisbane City Council decided to approve an Villa World application for
a housing development at Boondall during Council Easter 1999 recess period.
The Brisbane City Council has placed a temporary partial Vegetation Protection
Order upon much of the land under development approval.

Digital pictures taken from Thoms Street
Boondall

An environmental scan of the area revealed the presence of
glider possums. A further investigation found several Squirrel
Glider Possums.

The area is forested (not densely) and is surrounded on the
northern, western and partly on the eastern side by large lot
residential. On the southern and southwestern side by dense
Residential A development. To the east is a rail corridor and a
high voltage power line easement.

The southeastern side of the site is proposed as a park but
the existing den trees may not be within the proposed park
boundaries. If the proposed development were to proceed we have
concern whether there would remain enough habitat to support a
viable colony is doubtful.

The Squirrel Glider Possum colony is said to be between four
and six possums. The land is on the western side of the rail line
south of the Boondall railway station. (see map below)

The sum of thirty pieces of silver ($A30,000)
was being suggested (over Easter 1999) as a possible payment to the Brisbane
City Council to enable to protect other land for Squirrel Glider Possums within
Brisbane. This amount may purchase about 200 square meters of residential land
yet the approval to destroy this glider possum colony would release several
hectares of land for development.

The land to the east of the rail line is referred to as the
Western Extension of the Boondall Wetlands. The Brisbane City
Council owns the land. The Brisbane City Council has placed a
TOTAL Vegetation Protection Order upon this land. The Brisbane
City Council called for Expressions of Interest to develop this
land 12 months ago. This land has not as yet been protected by
zoning to Conservation Zone or Open Space etc. The land is
mostly/all wetlands with a tee tree vegetation being predominant
in the southern area. This area is also said to contain Squirrel
Glider Possums.

The Rivermouth Action Group Inc has lodged a request for
"Freedom of Information" request on the files of the
Brisbane City Council files on 23 May 1999 and we expect access
within 45 days of that date.

A visit to the site has revealed two glider possums in one of
the den trees which has now been recorded on video. Concerned
readers should direct their concerns to the Lord Mayor, Cr Jim
Soorley G.P.O. Box 2287 Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia or E-mail: LORDMAYOR@brisbane.qld.gov.au

This Lord Mayor believes he displays a Green Thumb and uses
the slogan 'Livable Brisbane'. His decision is not seen as a very
GREEN Decision and NOT very livable city for Glider Possums.

Australia is the world's most sparsely populated country in
the world except the Antarctic and Siberia yet we cannot even
leave room for Glider Possums who only live in tree hollows.

Good One Jimbo.

The Courier Mail of Monday, September 21 1998
Page 4:

Soorley calls for aim of
40-50 million population in Australia by 2050.

Just how much of this
proposed population increase in Australia is he willing to share
outside of Brisbane's boundaries?

If the price is set at $30,000.00 to
allow the demise of a colony of four to six Squirrel Glider
Possums and their habitat by the Brisbane City Council then who
can or will set the price for the demise of a Lord Mayor and a
Deputy Mayor and to whom must it be paid?